David Jones and Catherine Rice

St Patrick's Street, Cork. Detroit Photographic Company, 1905 (Via)

David Jones (b. 10 Nov 1898 in Rushbrooke, Cobh), son of David Jones and Laura Elizabeth White, married Catherine Rice (b. 8 Jul 1905 in Fermoy, County Cork), daughter of Richard Rice and Mary Hagerty, at the Registrar's Office, Cork on 1 Dec 1942. Witnesses to their marriage were two of Dave's sisters, Laura Mary Jones and Alice Jones. David Jones, Labourer, of The Bungalow, Rushbrooke, Cork, known as 'Young Dave', was 44 and Catherine, a Domestic Servant, residing at 14 Middleton Park, Rushbrooke, known as Kitty, was 36 and, marrying so late, the couple did not have any children.

Catherine's parents, Richard Rice, from Fermoy, County Cork, Harness Maker, son of John Rice, Farmer, had married Mary Hagerty, farmer's daughter, from Lismore, Waterford, at the Roman Catholic Chapel at Ballyduff, Waterford, on 27 Sep 1900. In 1901, they were living in Princes Street, Fermoy. By 1911, they were in Bank Street (now renamed Kent Street), with Richard Rice (42), Mary Rice (43), John Rice (9), Mary Rice (8) and Catherine Rice (5).

Taking over the job of Sexton of Christ Church, the Church of Ireland church in Rushbrooke from his father - which has only ever had these two Sextons, both called David Jones - Young Dave seems to have kept the job even after his marriage to Catherine, who was a Roman Catholic. He also reportedly worked for the Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, cutting grass.

David Jones (68) of 'The Bungalow', Rushbrooke, died on 21 Nov 1966 from coronary thrombosis, myocardia and degeneration. Under his name on the burial record, on 23 Nov 1966, kept in Christ Church, is marked (Sexton) in brackets, hence knowing he had kept the job. He is buried in the family plot at the Old Church Cemetery (Cobh), along with his mother, brother and father.

Hendrick Verwey (Visit Cobh), once told me, "I grew up just up the road from Christ Church Rushbrooke and a very small lady called Mrs Jones lived in a tiny corrugated iron house across the road. I think that her husband looked after the church, but he died many years before her."

Kitty Jones, Widow, died on 13 Aug 1987 (aged 82) and was buried on 15 Aug 1987, also at the Old Church Cemetery (Cobh).

The door from Kitty's solid fuel stove. Photo: Jerome Mc Cormick